DOR (Dialogue, Organise, Reclaim!)

WHY

Gender based violence is deeply layered and interconnected with varied forms of identities and social systems. This is especially true in India where the complex dynamics of religion, caste and class diversities layer the construction of gender. The resultant violence is often systemic and deeply ingrained in the cultural and social fabric of the different communities.

In order to address this, multiple stakeholders have to recognize and understand the issue, accord it a high priority and become proactive in addressing it in their own surroundings. The approach too has to be contextual and diverse – addressing the specific and the universal – talking to not just the cognitive but to the affective and behavioural aspects of the individual and the collective.

From this understanding, DOR was born.

What

DOR as a project seeks to build capacities of people and groups from different walks of life to initiate, deepen and sustain dialogue and context-specific, creative, non-violent action against gender based violence.

HOW

Through a range of training, mentoring and financial support for action projects, DOR supports the project participants to:

  • Develop appropriate values, knowledge and skills to respond to GBV pro-actively.
  • Bring together and strengthen a community of change- agents.
  • Initiate, lead and sustain independent and context- specific projects/ actions with communities of their choice.
  • Establish independent and sustainable local projects and initiatives against GBV, creating a ripple effect in this process.

TO WHAT END

To ensure that people from different walks of life have the knowledge and skills to counter GBV and challenge harmful norms. Because equality is possible when everyone does not only stand for it, but can also know how to counter it.

IMPACT TILL DATE

Community level

  • Over 3 years, DOR facilitated 64 action projects highlighting and addressing GBV in diverse communities in 6 States of India.
  • Over 15500 people across India engaged in dialog against GBV through DOR.

Groups/organization level

  • 12 citizen-led groups gained knowledge and skills to spur off community action to raise and build dialog on GBV in diverse context-specific and creative ways.
  • 6 of the 11 groups continued their DOR journey for 2 years and developed specific skills to plan and implement sustained projects to address GBV in their communities.
  • 3 groups took steps towards reimagining activism by making it more dialogic and integrating the community engagement and leadership strategies foregrounded by DOR into their projects/ongoing work.
  • 1 group consolidated its core team and registered as an organization to take forward the project initiated under DOR.

Personal level

  • Over 40 people underwent the DOR journey.
  • The journey, including implementing the action projects supported personal transformations for many of the group members (watch film).

Partners and collaborators

Support partner: KFB-Austria
DOR action partners
DOR footprints
DOR action leaders and group profiles

GLIMPSE into DOR moments

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Participant speak

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View posters

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Read DOR Blog